Condemned Nature
by Black the Ripper
Summary: Nailah, Queen of Wolves, is putting forth her plan to migrate her people to Gallia with her friend Rafiel and bodyguard Volug. What starts out as a simple journey, however, quickly elevates into a twisted and bloody struggle for life and sanity. RxR.
1. Crossing Death

I don't ask for much. If I did, I'd be asking for some damn reviews. Read up, bitches, this is my first serious Fire Emblem fic, and I plan on making it as epic as Radiant Dawn should've been.

Just so you don't get confused, underlined text is ancient speech and 'apostrophes denote thoughts.'

Even if I did own FE, it would have been a hell of a lot cooler.

* * *

The atmosphere was dry and arid; it causes the rather annoying sensation of making you choke on something that isn't even in your throat. Much to the small party of 3's relief, the Daein border was finally becoming visible just over the horizon. Good timing too. Nailah had just about had it with this damn desert. The long-legged bronze-skinned woman sighed inwardly. 'I could cross this desert a hundred times and I still wouldn't be used to it.' She mused to herself. At least now, she was able to cross this Godforsaken hellhole knowing it was for a great cause. She was finally putting forward her plan to migrate the people of Hatari across the Desert of Death, knowing full well the amazing things it could do for her country. She was currently on her way to Gallia to take up King Caingheis's offer of merging their tribes in the nation of the beasts, a prospect they had deliberated for a long time while she and Rafiel were in Gallia during the war. She had also planned to set aside a detour to the Daein capital to request support for her planned migration. Knowing Micaiah, she would gladly spare water, rations, and other supplies without a second thought, especially for a friend. She was a little worried for the reaction of the people of the painfully racist nation for when they found out how many funds went to benefiting a Laguz cause, but she put the thought out of her mind, confident that everything would work out in the end.

Rafiel walked at her side, sweating lightly. His wings were no good for flying, but he did manage to put them to rather good use as a shield against the gigantic, malevolent being known as the sun. Said sun was very harsh against Rafiel's pale and delicate skin, he still had no idea how he had managed to survive his first run-through with the Desert of Death. It was a mystery to all who knew of the delicatley-natured Heron's story, to think that a flightless one could have survived crossing the harshest desert on the continent. Volug quietly trailed the two, seemingly unaffected by the blistering heat. Both Queen Hatari and Prince Serenes still had absolutely no idea how he apparently managed to remain indifferent to the harsh climate and conditions underneath that thick coat of fur. Brushing the lilac tinted hair out of her eyes, she brought a hand to her forehead, scanning the sandscape. Noticing nothing out of the ordinary, she pressed on.

"I can finally see the Daein border. We should be getting there by nightfall, if not before." Nailah announced, breaking the long-standing silence. Rafiel let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank Ashera… while I do fancy the warmer climates, I'm not sure how much longer I can withstand such brutality from the sun." He gave an apologetic smile to his companions for putting up with him.

"You're such a wuss." She said teasingly. "But hey, that's why I like you so much. Don't change a thing." She said with a smile as she pointed to the black wolf that followed closely behind her. "If it wasn't for sunshine back there, you would probably be a roasted chicken on this otherwise barren and fruitless landscape by now."

Nailah's comment brought back fond memories of the first time Rafiel was discovered wandering the desert.

She wasn't around for this particular incident as she had some important business to take care of back in Hatari, but her trusted vassal had described the whole situation to her in vivid detail with the frail Heron still slung over his shoulder. He remembered first seeing Rafiel's collapsed body somewhat near Hatari's border while patrolling for a small band of desert bandits he was ordered to silence. With vision far surpassing that of any Beorc, he noticed a small, white speck in the distance. Upon approaching closer to this strange figure, he recognized it as the corpse of a large white bird. Good timing too, he hadn't eaten all day and the flesh of the mysterious body was sun-cooked just the way he liked it. There was a strange aura about it that he noticed, but he knew there was no point in trying to question a dead body. Rafiel, sensing the beast's intentions within his last seconds of clarity as he stood over his pitiful body licking his chops, let go of his last bits of energy, causing him to revert to human form in a bath of bright light. Now this was officially the last thing that the wolf had expected to see today. He was unlike any bird Laguz he'd ever seen. He was tall and skinny, his white robes caressing the light desert breeze. His hair was long and golden, his wings a bright white. And his skin… well, his skin was completely red. Now that he was officially interested, he flipped his body over and put an ear to his chest. He was able to pick up very faint breathing. Not knowing what to do with this 'visitor,' he effortlessly picked him up with one hand and carried him all the way back to the palace. After explaining the whole situation to the snow white wolf royal, he shifted almost immediately and resumed his previous engagement. He wasn't on the payroll to bring pretty birds to his queen, after all.

While he enjoyed the nostalgic rendition of their first run-in, he brought himself back to reality when he remembered a particular obligation he owed to his body.

Without notice, Volug suddenly shifted back to his human form. Volug personally preferred wolf to man form, so usually when he did shift it was for a reason. They both averted their gazes to the imposing, golden-skinned tower of a man who stood almost seven feet tall, silently wondering his reason for transforming without warning. Their minds were put at ease when they noticed it was merely time for his smoke break. He brought his pride and joy, a beautifully hand-made Kiseru pipe with a finely polished black wooden body, golden mouthpiece and an abnormally large golden bowl with small, intricate silver designs on the wooden body out from its small holster. After packing up a fine shredded tobacco, he brought the near-perfect pipe to his lips, lit the bowl, and inhaled deeply. There was something mesmerizing about watching the smoke dance as he exhaled. 'Fuck if it kills me, I love smokin.' He thought to himself. He let the pipe relax in his mouth as he cracked his neck and knuckles. Brushing the ebon hair out of his eyes and taking another deep hit, he let out a small grin.

"You looked like a damn cherry." He said to the Heron in ancient tongue, referring to their first encounter. Nailah couldn't help but chuckle.

"Don't remind me… I was peeling for weeks." Unhappy memories flooded Rafiel's mind. He could remember the sting of his flesh even as he descended into an ice-cold spring like it was just last week. He remembered the uncomfortable, sleepless nights of constant tossing and turning, unable to find a comfortable position. But most of all, he remembered the strange and unpleasant smell of the herbal lotion that Nailah had rubbed on his face and back.

"If you want to keep that from happening again, you should pick up the pace a little." He said coldly.

"I can't help it that I'm not athletically inclined like you two. Most of my strength goes to keeping you guys energized." He said defensively.

"Galdrar ain't gonna do us shit if you can't even keep up."

Rafiel stared at the sand on which he walked.

"I'm sorry." A sad expression marred his otherwise complacent face. The Heron could sense his friend's irritation as he sighed with discontent.

"Again with the fucking apologies... It's constant! How do you ever expect anyone to take you seriously if you don't stand up for yourself? Talk shit, fight back... do something! Be a man, Rafiel."

Taken aback, he stuttered his next words.

"I... y-your right... I'm... I'm sorry." He immediately regretted his apology as he felt Volug's irritation elevate to anger.

"Goddamn it, Rafiel! What did I just get done saying?! Is it so hard for you to grow a fucking pair of bal-"

"Volug, your mouth. Close it." Nailah grabbed his shoulder and looked at him sternly, strongly indicating that she wanted him to stop. He quietly turned his head back toward the direction in which they were headed, exhaling smoke sharply out his nose. He would just have to vent his anger out on the next people stupid enough to try attacking them, as usual. The white wolf looked back at the Heron sensitively.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Rafiel. Don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise. Grace, loyalty, and sensitivity... people posessing these traits are too few and far in between." Her kind words rose his spirits.

"Nevertheless… he does have a point. We aren't making as good of time as I had hoped. I wanted to get to Nevassa as soon as possible, but the way things are looking, we might have to bunk in the hills tonight." She brought a hand to her chin, trying to think of a way around this current arrangement.

Now, if there was one thing Volug always had, other than a bagful of various smokeable herbs, large branded tattoos running up and down his arms and back, a body that looks like it was chiseled out of marble, and a perpetual expression that gave off an angry and violent vibe; ideas. Volug was somewhat well known for being able to adapt to situations very quickly, and being able to come up with rather brilliant spur-of-the-moment plans, even if they were often at his expense. His talents had gone under appreciated and unrecognized for the most part during his time with the Dawn Brigade, but it didn't matter to him, as long as it brought them further to their goal. Besides, he found it more amusing to watch situations unfold as the Beorc handled them. Usually it just meant more humans for him to kill, anyway. Rafiel and Nailah both stood quietly looking at him, waiting for his inevitable input. After a moment or two, he opened his eyes and and turned to them.

"Okay. I've got it-" he stopped after realizing they both have been staring at him for the past ten seconds, waiting for a response.

"…Am I really that predictable?" he asked, wearing a slightly confused expression. The white wolf raised her hands and shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, when you've known someone for about a hundred-something years…" she smiled at him. Rafiel followed suit, shrugging with a small smile on his face.

"Hmm. 'Kay, then…" taken slightly aback by what had just happened, he cleared his throat. Deciding to take this opportunity to flex his skill with the modern speech, he grabbed a long, dead cactus branch and began etching into the sand.

"Alright. Since it's too dangerous for Rafiel to travel ahead by himself, you should two should both double-time it to the palace. I know the Daein outskirts are thick with raiders and slavers so if we all traveled together as we are now, we would just be asking for an ambush. I'll run ahead and clear a path in the dead of night while you guys are resting for the big sprint. I'll take out any small encampments covertly to make sure nobody tries to fuck us up the ass… metaphorically speaking. You're a little faster than me, so you should be the one that carries him. Plus, I think he'd prefer it."

Rafiel blushed lightly at his last statement.

Nailah nodded at the prospect quizzically, running over the plan in her head while looking down at his crude drawing of Daein, mountains, and various arrows detailing their paths and routes.

"So, what will you do once we get to the capital, then? Just stay behind?"

"Somewhat…" he pulled the pipe out of his mouth and cashed out the ash. "I need to lag behind a little to make sure no one's tailgating us. I should be arriving at the capital within a day of you two, at the very most."

"Alright. It's a plan." She smiled. "We'll post up for the night near the mountains once we cross the border. As soon as we wake up, we'll make a break for the capital. With the Galdrar of vigor on our side, it should be no problem." Her smile then dropped as she looked at him with a serious expression. "I want you to stick to the forests once it's daybreak. You know how dangerous it is for lone Laguz to wander the countryside, especially in Daein. And I sure as hell am not going to sink all that time and effort into breaking in a new vassal." There was a short pause as she approached him closer, looking directly into his eyes. "Promise me you'll come back in one piece. You're no good to me dead." He looked down at her with his trademark impassive expression.

"Your going to need to worry about your own ass if we want this to work. I'll be fine." He then gave her a confident smirk to reassure her while packing up another bowl.

His not-so-humble but well founded confidence brought her smile back. She was well aware that he was more than capable of taking care of himself. Hell, if anyone should be worried it'd be the poor bastards that he's going to drop in on while playing mister sandman… but she couldn't help but have this strange, dark feeling in her gut that made her just feel uneasy about the whole situation. She eventually shrugged it off, blaming it on the sweltering heat and fatigue that accompanies an exhausting day's trek. Volug lit his kiseru again as they continued to walk toward their destination. The mountains that seemed so small and distant just earlier in the day grew taller and mightier with every step they took. Eventually, their shadowy silhouettes wisped into darkness as the nightfall and ominous shadow of the jagged wall of rocky teeth consumed them.


	2. Nightfall

Chapter two, niggas. 1st chap was just the setup. Let me know about what you think and where this shit is going. If you have complaints, It's a wise idea to not act like a dick so I can at least take some of your helpful suggestions constructively without having to cuss you out and then just ignore you. Oh shit, I almost forgot. Much thanks to Rabid Wolf Demon for his help with revisions, spellchecking, all that crap. My bad I forgot to give you credit earlier. Anyway... on with the show. -BtR

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Nightfall. Dusk. Twilight. Whatever the hell you want to call it, it was late, and it was dark. Nailah had left the temporary camp site some ten minutes earlier in order to search for anything edible, or at least that's what she told the guys. She really just wanted a few minutes of alone time, as constantly traveling with the same two men, be they lifelong friends or not, can be taxing. This just left Rafiel, eyes growing heavier with each passing second, and Volug, who laid half-curled in a crescent shape next to the fire he built with his head lying on crossed paws. His eyes were closed, but his ears and nose were wide open. It was a trick he had used multiple times in the past. He would lie down, feigning sleep or death, and after picking up an enemies' scent and approaching footsteps, he would let them approach to lull them into a false sense of security. The second they were close enough, it would already be over before the poor bastard even had a chance to scream. His ears twitched occasionally with the curious sounds of the forest lined mountains, but his eyes remained closed. He was merely here to guard Rafiel, nothing more. A long, tired yawn from the Heron prince caused his ear to perk once more. Feeling the heat of the embers dying down, he lazily picked himself up, stretched out his long, muscular wolf body and shook his head and body quickly for good measure. Trotting slowly over to a small pile of dry logs he had bundled together earlier, he picked one up in his jaws and dropped it sideways into the burning pit. He made sure to keep a fair distance away from the flames; words couldn't describe how much he hated fire, at least in wolf form. The only time he seemed tolerant of it was when it was keeping the bugs away, while it was engulfing an enemy, or while it was cooking his food. There were other small exceptions, but the fact remained the same. He fucking hated that stuff.

Noticing his friend was awake, (or a least not pretending to be asleep) Rafiel wanted to take this opportunity to end the cold silence that seemed to accent the gloomy feeling that often accompanied the darkness. He broke the tension by signaling for the wolf to come sit by him. With a short exhale, he reluctantly marched over to his friends position. After he had laid back down, the prince leaned over and gently scratched Volug's head and back, while gently humming one of his more slow, sorrowful songs. He knew well that Volug didn't have a problem with it, so long as no one was around. Nailah, Rafiel, and during his stay with the Dawn Brigade, Micaiah, were the only individuals he allowed this to do. Even then, he wouldn't let Rafiel do it when anyone was looking. If anyone else had tried that, their severed arm would have made a wonderful chew toy for the next hour or so. Resuming his former position, he shifted slightly as he silently enjoyed the treatment he was receiving. Rafiel was able to sense that the wolf had just dropped his guard for a second, and wanted to take his chance to converse while he still had it. As anyone who has met the Queen's infamous bodyguard will know, engaging in a meaningful conversation with that man was roughly the equivalent of convincing Daein's former Mad King to consider a career change as a peace negotiator, even for someone like Rafiel.

Even after twenty years of friendship and service, he had yet to engage in more than a few emotional conversations, and as sad as it was to admit, he knew little of him beyond what he had seen in the black wolves' soul with his farsight. They were good friends and close allies, of that there was no doubt. But Rafiel desperately wanted to talk with him about deeper things, to get to know him through his eyes. Unfortunately though, constant, unspeakable abuse and forcing himself to enjoy the art of slaughter to hold on to survival and sanity alike since he was just a small pup had caused him to become heavily desensitized to other's suffering as well as emotionally fractured. Even Nailah stayed very far away from the subject of his childhood at all times, knowing the truth that the original purpose for his very birth was to grow up to be the perfect, emotionless homicide machine. And for the most part, it was a success.

But Volug was never one to live in the past, no matter how traumatic it had been. He lived only for the people he cared for, he lived only for the present. As for the future, well... for him, the future came soon enough.

As Rafiel reached the chorus of his melody, he snaked his fingers around his ear and scratched at his sweet spot, causing him to grumble while twisting his head. He didn't know what it was about that spot, but whenever Nailah wanted Volug to do something 'special' for her, or when she would simply get bored, she would go straight for his ear, and then his belly. He couldn't describe how his Queen could get him to do almost anything, nobody in his position would. It was just indescribable... the way her hand would teasingly run up and down his fur lined stomach muscles, gently caressing his figure with soft fingertips while knowingly brushing so closely to forbidden areas, well... frankly... it would make a Rabbi eat pork. At that point, Volug realized he should halt his thought process right there before he accidentally got a hard-on while his friend was petting him. That one would be difficult to explain.

Rafiel looked down at his dear protector, noticing he was deep in his thoughts. He was able to tell that he was thinking about Nailah, as his aura always grew warm and forlorn when he was lost in thought of his beloved Queen. Aside from that, he rarely thought of anyone else as often he did of the white wolf in her absence. If Rafiel was ever going to have an emotional man to man talk with his guardian, it had to be now.

"My friend..." Volug's ear perked at his mention.

"I never seem to thank you enough for all the things you have done for me, all the times you have risked your life to save mine..."

"Her Majesty is the only one you need to thank. She does it because she cares for you. I do it because it's my job."

The Heron shook his head slowly.

"Even when you are genuinely infuriated with me, it disguises the fact that you care deeply for my safety." He smiled warmly at his own comment, knowing it to be true. Exasperated, Volug stepped away from his friend and and circled the fire, knowing that he was subtly referring to his earlier outburst.

"Rafiel... for the LAST GODDAMNED TIME... stop looking into my soul. It's very rude."

"I am sorry. I cannot help it sometimes." he apologized, but his smile didn't fade. With a sigh, the wolf lied down in his original spot.

"Should've known better than to think I could hide shit from you..." defeated, he transformed and took one last look around to make sure nobody else was around. He shifted because it is easier to speak in human form.

"Alright, fine. -sigh- Look, sometimes when I get pissed at you, It's because I think you're being too soft. That much is obvious." Rafiel sat, listening intently.

"But I don't want to be the one that has to watch you die because you don't know how to take a hit. As you have already probably figured out, it gets a little tiring having to dart back and forth between you and the front lines to take all the steel aimed at the both of us."

"I-"

"DON'T... apologize. That actually is something that gets on my nerves. If it wasn't your intent to harm in the first place, you don't have to say your sorry. At least not to me."

"...Alright. That is fair."

"Besides, your very valuable on the battlefield. Even if you are sometimes a liability, your Galdr easily makes up for it. Honestly, I would have much rather had you at my side than some of the assholes I had to fight along side with while I was in Daein."

They both shared a laugh. It felt good knowing you could joke lightheartedly when danger could literally be around every corner. The flames of the bonfire roared as the smoldering wood crackled. They let the silence sit for a short moment as Volug whipped out his trusty smoking device.

"Do me a favor, Rafiel."

"Hm?"

"Promise me you won't get yourself killed on my watch. Iv'e got enough on my plate without having to worry about Nailah trying to castrate me because I couldn't jump in front of an arrow on time."

"...Alright. And in return, you promise me you won't let the same thing happen to you while you are defending me."

Volug stepped up and approached the White Prince, and grabbed his hand into a quick shake.

"That's a man promise right there. Don't break it, friend." Rafiel smiled contently. It was good to know he could have one true friend in the world that he could always count on. Sure, he trusted and loved his Queen and siblings very much, but he couldn't necessarily put them under the 'friend' category.

"So, what else did you see while you were in there?" He referred to the Heron's reading of his emotions.

"What? Oh, that. I really didn't see much other than what we had talked-"

"Bullshit, Rafiel. I know for a fact it's much more than you're comfortable with telling me." Rafiel shifted uneasily at being found out so quickly. Looks like Volug wasn't the only one that couldn't hide from the truth. He leaned back on the soft bed of foliage that lined the tall tree he sat against, adjusting his crooked wings into a more comfortable position.

"Okay. I will be completely honest now. I was able to tell you were thinking quite fond thoughts about our dear Queen for a moment there."

Volug's eyes widened slightly, not expecting to hear what Rafiel had just said. He opened his mouth, almost dropping his pipe to say something, not sure of what he was going to say as long as it diverted from the subject, but Rafiel spoke up first, as he could feel the wolf's aura growing a little flustered.

"If your feelings for her are supposed to be a secret, I am sorry. It is safe with me."

"...Nah, don't worry about it. Not like it was supposed to be a big secret anyway... It's just that I've been with her for so long... the tension is getting harder and I sure as hell am not getting any more comfortable."

Rafiel sat with a hand to his chin, letting his friends words sink in.

"But what really doesn't help, is knowing that you feel the exact same way."

Rafiel blushed, but not out of embarrassment. His not-so-subtle undying devotion to his Queen was a dead giveaway, anyway.

"It is true, I love our Queen with all my heart. We were all already aware of this." Volug leaned over, resting his enormous forearms on his thighs as he sat, staring his competition dead in the eyes.

"So, how are we going to do this, then? Rock paper scissors?" Rafiel shook his head with a smile.

"I would follow Nailah to the gates of hell if I had to. She knows how much I care for her. But... we have already talked about this. We don't love each other in that way." Volug raised an eyebrow, trying to decipher the meaning behind his words.

"My love for that woman transcends that of earthly meanings, I care for her beyond that of a physical relationship. If she is happiest with someone else, that is the path I will gladly choose." Volug knew he was telling the truth. "I just want her to be happy."

Yet for some reason, the wolf was still unsatisfied.

"No, no... I can't accept that. It's too easy."

"Too easy?" Rafiel was confused.

"You probably aren't aware. When two males of a pack want the hand of the same woman, you know how we're supposed to settle it?" the Prince shook his head curiously.

"Pretty simple actually. The one who dies loses." Rafiel's eyes widened as he took a step back. Volug chuckled.

"Heh, I'm not saying I want to fight you, dipshit. I'm just saying that is how I am used to doing these kind of things. I've put a lot of good men in the dirt for this very reason... but I was just young and horny back then. I didn't know anything about real love."

"I see." Rafiel began to understand his angle. Volug sighed, recollecting his long past.

"I used to be a real prick, you know? I didn't give a fuck who's heart I was ripping out as long as it brought me closer to my own ends. I screwed over friends and enemies alike... I'm going straight to hell, of that I have no doubt." He exhaled three thick smoke rings.

"I just don't deserve her. She's always been wise and graceful, she had a great upbringing, and she is absolutely invaluable to our country. I just haven't earned the right to love her the way I truly want to. I doubt I ever will." Rafiel placed a hand on his large shoulder.

"You give yourself too little credit. Nobody is perfect. I know you, and you are much wiser than even some of the Herons I used to know in Serenes. Even if you had a troubled past, it does not matter. All that matters is that you are who you are now, and nothing is going to change that. Both me and Nailah are truly blessed to have you. From the bottom of my heart." Volug cracked a smile, and then pulled his friend into a headlock.

"Ahhh, come here, ya big bleeding-heart."

"Ow... ow, you're welc-ah, hey..." he knew it was a gesture of gratitude, but it still hurt like hell. After a few seconds, he released his friend who sat in his original spot rubbing his head.

"Thanks, man. I was in a real shit pit there for a second. Coming from you, I'll take your word for it." He looked down and jabbed at the dying embers with a sharp stick. About two minutes later, after the silence had re-established itself, Volug sniffed the air a couple times as he sensed the same thing Rafiel did. He looked at the bushes behind him.

"Catch anything nice?" He asked the woman emerging from the forest.

"You tell me. I was gone for about twenty minutes." She raised a large bagful of various assorted nuts and berries in one hand and tossed them to Rafiel. He opened it to find it full of ripe and delicious fruits that he had mentioned to her that he liked. Plums, pears, peaches, strawberries, cherries, all of that good stuff.

"The eastern border is just the perfect climate and humidity for growing the ripest fruits. I decided to take my time and grab a lot since we still have a ways to go."

"Thank you very much. They all look delectable." She turned to Volug.

"Here, you can throw these on the fire if you want. Or eat them raw. I know you're not picky." She tossed him a couple of pheasants with slit throats. He stood and looked up at the sky. Noting the position of the moon, he was able to tell that it was about half-past one. He looked at the dead bird in his hand.

"No time to cook. It's getting too late." His enormous fangs tore into the soft stomach of the bird, ripping through muscle and bone. Entrails spilled from the creature freely as his ivory razors glistened in the moonlight with a ruby tint. Very little was left of the carcass when he finished moments later. He turned his heavily tattooed back to the fire.

It was time.


End file.
